The Rome Marathon is an annual
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
competition hosted by the city of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
History
The competition has also doubled as the Italian Marathon championships on two occasions; in 1983 and 1986. The race date was shifted from the traditional March schedule to 1 January in 2000 for a special edition of the event to celebrate the beginning of the new millennium. The ''IAAF Rome Millennium Marathon'' received the support of
Primo Nebiolo
Primo Nebiolo (14 July 1923 – 7 November 1999) was an Italian sports official, best known as president of the worldwide athletics federation IAAF.
Primo Nebiolo was the ideator of the IAAF Continental Cup.
Biography
As an active athlete i ...
and national federation president
Gianni Gola
Gianni is an Italian name (occasionally a surname), a short form of the Italian Giovanni and a cognate of John meaning God is gracious. Gianni is the most common diminutive of Giovanni in Italian.
People with this given name
* Gianni Agnelli (i ...
. The race start point was at
Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood (rione) of Borgo. Bot ...
and
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
delivered a short
benediction
A benediction (Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the expositio ...
in approval of the event and the Bells of Saint Peter's replaced the usual
starter's pistol
A starting pistol or starter pistol is a blank handgun that is fired to start track and field races, as well as competitive swimming races at some meets. Starter guns cannot fire real ammunition without first being extensively modified: Blank ...
to signal the beginning of the race.
The 2010 race was held in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of
Abebe Bikila
''Shambel'' Abebe Bikila ( am, ሻምበል አበበ ቢቂላ; August 7, 1932 – October 25, 1973) was an Ethiopian marathon runner who was a back-to-back Olympic marathon champion. He is the first Ethiopian Olympic gold medalist, winnin ...
's win at the
1960 Rome Olympic marathon race, a watershed moment in the development of East African competitive running. The 2010 men's winner,
Siraj Gena, earned a 5000
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists ...
bonus for crossing the finish line
barefoot
Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear.
There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to ...
in honour of Abebe Bikila's style.
[Sampaolo, Diego (2010-03-21)]
Ethiopian double as Rome celebrates Bikila – Rome Marathon report
IAAF
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...
. Retrieved on 2010-03-22.
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the
coronavirus outbreak, with all registration fees being applied for a guaranteed entry to the 2021 edition of the race, and all finishers to be awarded two medals in 2021.
Winners
Key:
: Course record (in bold)
: Short course
: Italian championship race
Notes
References
;List of winners
Città di Roma Marathon Association of Road Racing Statisticians
The Association of Road Racing Statisticians is an independent, non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics regarding road running races. The primary purpose of the ARRS is to maintain a valid list of world road record ...
(2009-03-27). Retrieved on 2010-01-31.
External links
Official website
{{IAAF Silver Label
Marathons in Italy
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
Recurring sporting events established in 1982
Spring (season) events in Italy
Athletics in Rome
1982 establishments in Italy